Mass bath for Pogacar in the European Championship: “My form is very poor and I didn’t want to run like that”

Tadej Pogacar was called to be the main protagonist of the season finale before a fall in the Vuelta a España It would ruin not only his overall chances in the race, but also the last tests of the year. In them, no less than World Cup, European and Giro de Lombardia were in charge.

There was talk of the possibility that he would force himself to be able to run them, with a circuit in Montreal that is perfect for him in the World Championship, a continental event in “his” Slovenia and a Lombardy that he dominates perfectly. However, UAE and himself were evolving towards the idea of ​​healing injuries well to reappear at the highest level in 2027: a displaced fracture of the left clavicle, a stable fracture in the C7 cervical vertebra and multiple abrasions.

For this reason, despite the fact that Pogacar was soon seen on the roller and later he was seen riding on the road, the five-time Tour champion is being the big absentee from the final part of 2026. Especially notable was his absence this Sunday in the European Championship that was held in his country and in which Remco Evenepoel won in a spectacular final against Giulio Ciccone.

But the truth is that Pogacar has been present. The Slovenian has been honored by his people, since before the test he was able to say hello along part of the route in an organization car. He has received a tremendous ovation from his people and has explained how little by little he has been assuming that the best thing was not to put his physique at risk and look to 2027.

“I’ve only been riding for a week, but I wanted to be here. I know my fitness is very poor right now and I didn’t want to compete like that,” Pogacar has pointed out in the Eurosport microphones. He himself has been seeing his situation. “A week or two ago, my goal was to be”he admitted. Over the days he has been setting the chip for 2027, in which equally gigantic objectives will await him such as Paris-Roubaix, the search for the sixth Tour or, if he considers it when the time comes, the return to the Vuelta to try to make it the definitive one.